Nobody works harder than American Aquarium's BJ Barham. The frontman of the Raleigh, NC based alt-country outfit, Barham has been chipping away at his career and honing his craft as a fiercely independent artist for nearly two decades now, and has built a unique brand of country music through his high energy live shows, unabashedly honest lyricism, and sheer prolificity in writing, recording, and releasing music. All of this hard work that Barham has put into his career over the years is evident in his latest album
The Fear of Standing Still . American Aquarium's 10th studio album,
The Fear of Standing Still was recorded at Sunset Sound Recording Studio in Los Angeles, CA and produced by the great Shooter Jennings. With 10 incredibly well thought out tracks that in typical American Aquarium style deal with an array of heavy subject matter and showcase his incredible ability as a songwriter,
The Fear of Standing Still acts as a snapshot of where Barham is at this time in his life. This is a notion that Barham frequently references when discussing his catalog - Each album is a snapshot in time, and in listening through all of his music, you can not only see Barham's progression as a songwriter, but as a human. From a young man who was unknowingly running from the fact that his career wasn't progressing as quickly as he had hoped, who was constantly seeking short-lived solace through a plethora of vices, to a sober and clear-minded 40 year old who has built both a career and family to be proud of, and whose life and perspective has been changed for the better by fatherhood and his relationship with his now six year old daughter, Pearl. That transition didn't happen overnight, though, it's been a gradual journey spanning over the past two decades. But if there's one takeaway from
The Fear of Standing Still , it's that Barham more than ever before is at peace with where he stands in life, and his songwriting is flourishing with the freedom that comes as a result. And based on the hard-hitting title track, I think Barham's daughter is to thank here, for teaching her father how to slow down and enjoy the moment, or perhaps even being the reason he has overcome
The Fear of Standing Still . I could sit here and continue to ramble away about Barham's career, the new album, and the incredible songwriting, but nothing is going to do the project justice more so than listening intently through each song. So with that said, check out what I think is one of the best albums of the year in American Aquarium's brand new record
The Fear of Standing Still. "Crier" How many rock and roll songs do you know that encourage men to embrace their feelings? I can't think of too many, but that's exactly how American Aquarium starts off the new record with this raucous first track that presents an interesting dichotomy to say the least. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkvbS4yUKnU
"Messy as a Magnolia" "There's a darkness deep down in my bones, a sickness I can't shake It's been there since I can remember, I got it honest as my last name You saw something worth saving, help me sweat the fever out Behind every good man is a better somebody that should have never stuck around" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYOSULYl4Q0
"Cherokee Purples" Fitting squarely within the band’s greater ethos and in an extension of the themes set forth in their previous record
Chicamacomico , Barham’s “Cherokee Purples” finds Barham reflecting on the summers of his childhood, something he is currently reexperiencing through his daughter. But since it wouldn’t really feel like an American Aquarium song if there wasn’t a sad twist to it, this nostalgia centers around his late grandmother’s role during that formative period in his life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqHWiErSXIY
"The Getting Home" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbL-NCcdH-Y
"Southern Roots" ft. Katie Pruitt One of Barham's biggest musical influences is the legendary southern rock band Drive-By Truckers, and in particular band member Patterson Hood's songwriting. One theme that is present throughout Hood's songwriting and the band's catalog as a whole, particularly in their seminal 2001 concept record
Southern Rock Opera , is the "duality of the southern thing." In short, this phrase refers to the dichotomous relationship being proud of having southern roots and many of the cultural aspects that come with living in the south, yet struggling to reconcile such affinity for the region with its troubled history. Barham falls squarely in this camp, and if you've ever heard him talk, you can tell from his southern accent that he's about as Reidsville, NC as it gets. And in a lot of ways, he's proud of it. But his overall sentiment is captured perfectly in "Southern Roots" as he explores the "duality of the southern thing" in his own words, and how he plans to leave the South a better place.
"If there's one thing I've found You can't change the way you sound You can only change the words that you choose" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAO_toIDFNs
"The Curse of Growing Old" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wm4D-Txe_Q
"The Fear of Standing Still" Serving as the record's title track, it's fitting that "The Fear of Standing Still" is the most important song on the album, and the one that features what could be the defining verse of Barham's catalog thus far. If this album is another snapshot of where he is in life at this point of time, then in many ways, it's written through the context of the most important thing in his life at the moment: his daughter.
"You taught me that there was more to life than a constant state of motion And introduced me to the fine art of staying in one place So when the fear of standing still asks if I like the path less chosen I find the answers in the corners of the smile on your face" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0fuuXJNh2k
"Piece by Piece" "I was running wild The path that I was choosing Was never worth losing The thing I loved the most I stripped it to the studs Took my foot off the throttle I crawled out of that bottle And start to rebuild" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLGiB5bSRsE
"Babies Having Babies" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loFkJ5ozf5Y
"Head Down, Feet Moving" "I promise I'll keep showing up just as long as you do I'll keep screaming out my secrets if you swear to sing along And let me say this to you if along the way I lose you I appreciate you listening as long as I did" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0cW4cRiiU4 If you like what you're hearing, get out there and see an American Aquarium show to hear these songs live. With nearly 60 shows scheduled across the country this far, it's highly likely that American Aquarium is coming to a city near you, and you're not going to want to miss it when they do. https://www.instagram.com/p/C6bXKtsOCc4/
American Aquarium 2024 Tour Dates:
July 26 - Nashville, TN - Grand Ole Opry Aug 15 - St. Louis, MO -The Factory at The District Aug 29 - Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Museum of Art Amphitheater Aug 30 - Wilmington, NC - Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre Aug 31 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre Sept 1 - Richmond, VA - The National Sept 3 - Baltimore, MD - The Metro Gallery Sept 4 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live Sept 5 - New York, NY - Brooklyn Made Sept 6 - Woodstock, NY - Levon Helm Studios Sept 8 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom Sept 10 - Columbus, OH - The Bluestone Sept 11 - Detroit, MI -El Club Sept 12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre Sept 13 - Washington D.C. - Union Stage Sept 14 - Rocky Mount, VA - Harvester Performing Arts Center Sept 15 - Asheville, NC - Salvage Station Oct 2 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East Oct 3 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi-Fi Indy Oct 4 - Evanston, IL - Space Oct 5 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads Oct 6 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room Oct 7 - Saint Paul, MN - Turf Club Oct 8 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon Oct 9 - Des Moines, IA - xbk Oct 10 - Bloomington, IL - The Castle Theatre Oct 11 - Fort Smith, AR - Peacemaker Music & Arts Festival Oct 12 - Dallas, TX - Longhorn Ballroom Nov 1 - Little Rock, AR - Revolution! Music Room Nov 2 - Bryan, TX - Palace Theatre Nov 3- Lubbock, TX - Cactus Theater Nov 4 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad Nov 5 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom Nov 6 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour Nov 7 - San Francisco, CA - The Chapel Nov 8 - Eugene, OR - Wow Hall Nov 9 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios Nov 10 - Seattle, WA - Neumos Nov 11 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Boise Nov 12 - Bozeman, MT - Armory Music Hall Nov 13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell Nov 14 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater Nov 15 - Wichita, KS - WAVE Nov 16 - Fort Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater Nov 17 - Oklahoma City, OK - Jones Assembly Nov 30 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West Dec 1 - Greenville, SC - Radio Room Dec 2 - Jacksonville, FL - Underbelly Dec 3 - Orlando, FL - The Abbey Dec 4 - Mobile, AL - The Merry Widow Dec 5 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Midtown Dec 6 - New Braunfels, TX - Gruene Hall Dec 7 - Austin, TX - Radio/East Dec 8 - Fayetteville, AR - George’s Majestic Dec 10 - Davenport, IA - Racoon Motel Dec 11 - St. Louis, MO - The Golden Record Dec 12 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom Dec 13 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note Dec 14 - Memphis, TN - Growlers Dec 15 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn *supporting Turnpike Troubadours
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